The Compatibility Algorithm (Her Story)
by Queenfisher
Summary: No one ever really understood their relationship. It was odd, out of place and, for lack of a better term, weird. Amy had always dreamed of marrying Sheldon, she even had a five-year plan for it. But what if that's not what he wants? A Shamy fan fiction exploring the thoughts of Amy Farrah Fowler.
1. Chapter 1: The Cooper Encounter

**Chapter 1: The Cooper Encounter**

* * *

4:00 pm. It was 30 minutes prior to the agreed upon time. Amy thought that if there was an off chance that her date also arrived early, she would be able end it quicker. It was not until 5 minutes later that she realized that there was a possibility for her date to be late and she had to wait even longer.

_'I should've stopped for feminine hygiene supplies before I came here.'_

As she anticipated the arrival of the man she was paired with, she contemplated on the reasons as to why she agreed to do this in the first place:

1.) Her mother would not stop pestering her to "meet a nice young man"

2.) Her mother won't let her use the George Foreman grill that seals in the flavor without the fat

3.) Her mother required her to report about her annual date

She never really believed in how online dating sites could possibly calculate a person's compatibility with a set of questionable algorithms, but online dating was the fastest way to get a date. She knew that most men she met through the website were either horny ass-grabbers or lonely and boring blokes, but it was a chore that just needed to be done.

Amy didn't know much about the man she was paired with. The only information she had accumulated from the site was that he was a theoretical physicist with an IQ of 187 at Caltech University by the name of Sheldon Lee Cooper and a zoomed-in unflattering picture of himself. She didn't bother searching for more information about him since she was pretty sure this was a one-time thing. All of her dates have always been a one-time thing. She couldn't even remember their names or faces.

4:07 pm. A tall man with long hair and well-built physique came in the coffee shop. He resembled the guys in the cover of those erotic novels some of the girls back in her classes in college liked to read.

_'Could this be the guy?' _Amy thought as she checked her phone for the picture of her meet-up and he looked nothing like the guy. She further confirmed that he wasn't her match-up when she saw him making out with another guy.

4:15 pm. A man shorter than Amy came to the coffee shop and looked around. After a few moments, he saw Amy and approached her.

_'Maybe this is the guy. He seems to recognize me. Well, finally! The sooner this is over, the sooner I can go.'_

"Hi, I'm Jack, you must be Sherry," the man introduced himself, extending a hand to her.

"I'm sorry, I think you've got the wrong person," Amy said, slightly disappointed that she had to wait a little longer than she had hoped.

"Oh, I'm sorry," the man apologized before moving to the next table who Amy presumed might be his own match-up.

4:23. A dark-skinned man wearing a very strong cologne approached Amy, asking her if she'd like to hang out. She deduced that he might be one of those guys who liked to flirt with just about any woman they could come in contact with since he looked nothing like her match.

"Gop e Top Lop o Sop Top." Amy replied with her made up language, which the man responded with a confused look. Thinking that Amy might be a foreigner and didn't speak English, the man gave up and decided to try a different target.

_'Works every time.'_

"In a few minutes, when I gloat over the failure of this enterprise, how do you prefer I do it? The standard I told you so with the classic neener-neener or just my normal look of haughty derision?" A slim and lanky man said to his two companions upon entering the establishment just a few moments after the dark-skinned man left.

_'Could this be the guy?' _

Amy glanced at the photograph that she acquired from the dating website and glanced back at the man quibbling with his friends. He was taller than she imagined him to be.

"You don't know we're wrong yet." His Indian friend replied.

"Haughty derision it is." The lanky guy said, followed by an expression of mockery.

_'Let's get this over with.'_

"Excuse me. I'm Amy Farrah Fowler, you're Sheldon Cooper."

The three men looked over her direction. The lanky man looked at her and gave her a tiny, almost sympathetic smile.

"Hello Amy Farrah Fowler, I'm sorry to inform you that you have been taken in by unsupportable mathematics designed to prey on the gullible and the lonely. Additionally, I'm being blackmailed with a hidden dirty sock."

"If that was slang, I'm unfamiliar with it. If it was literal, I share your aversion to soiled hosiery." Amy stated. She noticed that his two companions were now eyeing her with interest, shock and curiosity for reasons that she could not comprehend. "In any case, I'm here because my mother and I have agreed that I will date at least once a year."

"Interesting. My mother and I have the same agreement about church."

"I don't object to the concept of a deity but I'm baffled by the notion of one that takes attendance."

"Well, then you might want to avoid East Texas."

"Noted. Now, before this goes any further, you should know that all forms of physical contact up to and including coitus are off the table."

There was a brief pause. That statement was usually what relieved Amy of the tedious duty of listening to her date blab on and on about insignificant matters such as the Super Bowl or who the hottest Kardashian is. The only ones who usually stay for the date after that declaration are usually the ones who are too polite to turn her down right then and there.

"May I buy you a beverage?" The lanky man finally said.

"Tepid water, please." Amy responded with a forced smile.

_'I guess he's one of the polite ones. There goes my hour of harp-playing.'_

* * *

Amy was expecting a yawn or two during their discussion but she was surprised to find Sheldon to be a delight. She discovered that Sheldon was a man of science and looked at the universe as a puzzle to solve and approached every aspect of his life with logic, just like her. She was pleasantly astonished at how he closely resembled her way of thinking. Of all the dates she ever went on, he was the only one who seemed to match her intellect. It intrigued her, and in her mind, he wasn't that bad looking either.

As she conversed with her match-up, she occasionally glanced at his companions who were seated at the far end of the room, observing them. She thought of them to be like vultures, silently eyeing their prey while chattering animatedly amongst themselves like wild monkeys. She had gone to several dates but this was the first one she went to that had an audience.

It took her a while before she realized that she had gotten too carried away with their debate about the big bang cosmogony theory that what was supposed to be a one-hour date became a two-hour one.

"It seems we have exceeded the time limit we had agreed on for this date. I didn't even notice that it's been two hours."

"Oh dear, you're right! I need get back home if I want to get my laundry done in time."

"This was… pleasant."

"It certainly was. I had a pleasure meeting you, Amy Farrah Fowler."

"And I as well, Sheldon Lee Cooper."

As Amy was about to leave the shop, Sheldon called out her name.

"Amy?"

"Yes?"

"I can't believe I'm saying this, but would you care to exchange numbers? I enjoyed our conversation and would like to continue communicating with you."

If it was any other person, Amy would've said no, but Sheldon was different from whom she had been matched up with in the past. She actually felt intellectually challenged from their chat, and it was something that never happened to her before on any date or any conversation she had with any other person. After some consideration, she decided to take him up on his offer.

"Certainly."

* * *

Amy and Sheldon continued communicating through emails, texts and social media sites on a daily basis after their first meeting. They never ran out of things to talk about. They talked about her research in Neurobiology and his research in Physics and random topics that would've been boring if she talked with a different person. They found it easy to talk to each other about anything and found themselves in sync most of the time. They regarded each other as highly intelligent to the point that they even discussed the prospect of having a progeny that would become first in a line of intellectually superior benign overlords to guide humanity to a brighter tomorrow. It was after four months of virtual communication that they had decided to meet each other in person again as a result of Sheldon's friend's insistence that they meet. She found it odd that his friends seemed to have some sort of profound interest in her.

She was a bit surprised to find that they were dining with Sheldon's attractive blonde friend, Penny. Amy didn't mind since she didn't consider the date as something romantic in nature. Sheldon had informed her that since she was the one driving them, it's only fair that they let her join. However, to Penny's dismay, she and her love life served as their conversation fodder.

It was after that first formal date of theirs that they decided to meet in person more often, much to the chagrin of Sheldon's friends who seem to feel intimidated by her. Although she thought of him as an equal, she still believed that Neurobiology, her field of expertise, was far more superior than Physics or any other science. Sheldon believed otherwise. This lead to a heated debate and their first disagreement that resulted in the termination of their "relationship."

Amy was slightly disappointed, but having been used to disappointments, she just shrugged it off and continued on with her life. It wasn't the first time she lost a friend. She was so sure that she wouldn't see him again, but she was dead wrong.

A few days later, she received an interesting call from his mother, Mrs. Mary Cooper, asking her if she could come by and have a chat. His mother had told her that he was beginning to lose his mind over her and collected twenty-five feline companions. As a neurobiologist, it made her curious.

Upon her arrival, Sheldon's mother attempted to converse with her to get to know her better. It seemed that for every word that came out of Amy's mouth, Mary always had that perplexed, confused and slightly intrigued emotion displayed on her face.

"Now, answer me honestly dear. What do you really think of my little Shelly-bean? Don't you want to see him again?" Mary asked her, her face warm and inviting.

She pondered on the question for a moment. She didn't think she'd ever feel the absence of a person, but she realized she missed having a friend could who actually follow her train of thought and understood what she was saying.

"I believe I am not entirely opposed to seeing your son again, Mrs. Cooper."

"Okay, I heard a yes! Just give me a moment and I'll get Shelly."

An interesting turn of events occurred within the next few minutes. One minute, Sheldon was stating his displeasure of having her company in his apartment, and the next, he was defending her to his mother, stating that there was no other person more similar to him than her. The day ended in the two reestablishing their friendship, meeting Sheldon's twenty-five cats and giving them away to people in the park.

* * *

It was an entirely different thing when Sheldon met Amy's mother. Amy just got back home from work when her mother called her through Skype. Her mother liked to occasionally check in on her, but her calls were usually filled with questions about her non-existent love life. In an attempt to keep her mother from pestering her about the subject, Amy once told her that she was seeing a miniature horse breeder named Arman, but her story fell apart once her mother asked for details.

But this time, it was different. She really was kinda-sorta "dating" a guy, so lying about being in a relationship with Sheldon was more believable and a lot easier, specially since they talk on a daily basis. However, instead of quelling her mother's thirst for all these "love" chatter, it unexpectedly invigorated her to call more often. She wanted actual proof that Sheldon was real.

It had only been a few days after the two reconciled when Amy asked Sheldon to meet her mother. He told her that he would get back to her, but he never did. He cut off all their communications and changed all his emails and numbers. From his actions, Amy deduced that he had misunderstood her intentions and also learned that he was a "flight risk," not that she was really interested in pursuing Sheldon.

Amy decided it was best to visit him in his own home and clear things up. She had to wait the whole day till he finally showed up, wearing a very obvious disguise. He wore a very striking red jacket, a red beanie and a pair of Groucho glasses, which she found absolutely ridiculous. What was even more ridiculous to her was the notion that he thought she has fallen "hopelessly in love" with him.

"All I want to do is present you as my boyfriend to my mother so she'll be satisfied that I'm in a relationship."

"…So we'd be perpetrating a ruse?"

"Precisely."

"And you haven't fallen hopelessly in love with me?"

"Don't be absurd. I find the notion of romantic love to be an unnecessary social construct that adds no value to human relationships."

"Amy Farrah Fowler, that's the most pragmatic thing anyone's ever said to me!"

"I trust this clarification allows us to return to our boy-slash-friend-slash-girl-slash-friend status?

"Of course!"

The very next day, after Amy and Sheldon had discussed how they would execute their ruse, Amy introduced Sheldon to her mother through Skype. Their meeting left a permanent impression on her mother, especially after they had hinted that they were sexually active and were constantly in heat. After that conversation, Amy was never pestered about her love life again.

* * *

It had always amazed her how one man could drastically change the course of her life. She had always been alone and had no friends outside of work. When she met Sheldon, she was introduced to his friends, and while she was initially condescending to each one of them, she was eventually accepted and found their company surprisingly pleasant. She never would have thought that she'd have very close female companions to have slumber parties and girls' nights with. All the things she missed out on in her teenage and college years that she so desperately wanted, he made possible, regardless of whether or not he had an active part in it.

One thing that came unexpected to her was her budding desire for affection and physical intimacy. As months passed by, she gradually found herself becoming more and more attracted to Dr. Sheldon Lee Cooper. The prospect of a romantic relationship with him had been ridiculous to her in the past, knowing theirs was a relationship of the mind, but after she kissed him while she was drunk, things were never really the same. They had both agreed to forget about the incident and carry on how they usually were, but the incident never left her mind. She wished she could remember what happened, and what caused her to act irrationally. What perplexed her more was the fact that she didn't hate it. In fact, she liked it.

She found herself savoring every single moment she spent with him and seized every chance for physical contact that arose. An instance was when she was depressed that her girlfriends went dress shopping without her and Sheldon came to her apartment to check on her. Thinking there was nothing to lose, since she felt like she already lost her "BFFs", she daringly asked Sheldon something she definitely wouldn't have wanted in the past.

"Sheldon, I'm gonna ask you something and I'd like you to keep an open mind."

"Always."

"At this moment, I find myself craving human intimacy and physical contact."

"Oh boy…" Sheldon had never been comfortable with physical intimacy. He looked at her with a troubled expression. "You know ours is a relationship of the mind."

At this point, Amy was pretty sure that no matter what she'd suggest, he would be sure to say no, but she was not in the right emotional state to think about those things.

"Proposal, one wild night of torrent love making that soothes my soul and inflames my loins."

There was a deafening silence in the room. _'Great. I guess I'm going to lose him too,'_ Amy thought to herself.

"Counter proposal, I will gently stroke your head and repeat 'Aww, who's a good Amy?'" Sheldon proposed, surprising Amy. She was expecting him to run away in panic like the time he thought Amy was going to introduce him to her mother as her real boyfriend. Amy decided to push her luck just a bit more.

"How about this? French kissing. Seven minutes in heaven culminating in second base."

"Neck massage, then you give me that beverage."

Sheldon was not budging, so Amy decided on the one thing that would satisfy her needs that would not be so abhorrent to the theoretical physicist. "We cuddle, final offer."

"Very well." Sheldon cautiously agreed.

Amy inched closer to him on the couch, noticing his discomfort. She slowly raised her arms, warily attempting to reach out to him. Sheldon began to move a little closer, just as anxiously as she was. It had only been a couple of seconds, but it felt like hours had passed by before she had contact with his body. It was extremely awkward, but by the time they had covered each other in their arms, Amy felt her mind go blank. She was intoxicated with his scent, and the warmth of his body piercing through hers gave her a rush of dopamine. It felt as if she had just discovered a new type of drug and had become addicted to its ill-fated effects.

It was just a hug, basically. If it was anyone else, they wouldn't have made a big deal out of it. She had received them before from her parents and her BFFs, but this one was different by magnitudes. Maybe it was the unfortunate situation of her "friends" ditching her. Maybe it was because he was a man, and no man had done it to her before. Or maybe it was because he wasn't just any man, but because he was Sheldon.

It was the first time he had ever held her this way, and this simple action had finally made her understand the feeling that her romance novels had been trying to illustrate to its readers. The feeling of being protected, being safe and being wanted.

She found her craving for his warmth increase each passing day, but she knew it just wasn't possible. Evaluating what she knows about Sheldon, there was a very low chance that he could ever see her as a romantic partner. She couldn't admit her feelings to him for fear that he'd turn her down and diminish her new found social life. The risks were just too high.

And then, she meets Stuart Bloom.

* * *

**Author's Note: Hello! This is my first fan fiction ever. I'm actually planning to write Sheldon's side as well which I'll be posting as a separate fic next week. I'll be updating the two fics alternatively each week (hopefully) because I want to show their different points of view. The story is a combination of actual events in the show, my own twist in their story and a whole different plot. Hope you guys like it. Reviews and feedback are much appreciated :)**

**Edit: Sheldon's side is now published. You can check it under my stories.**

* * *

**-October 16, 2013-**

**Next Chapter: The Purkinje Lights Phenomenon**


	2. Chapter 2:The Purkinje Lights Phenomenon

**Chapter 2: The Purkinje Lights Phenomenon**

* * *

Neurobiology wasn't everyone's cup of tea, but Amy had a great passion for the science to the point that she even terminated a friendship over it. Still, there were certain days that tested her patience for the profession.

She spent the whole day with a bunch of monkeys, and she was not referring to her smoking test subjects. With what happened today, she wishes she could be giving those so-called "braniacs" emphysema instead.

There had been a big mishap in the lab involving the test results they have waited for over several months. Those months were grueling and tiresome, and when they finally made a significant breakthrough, all hell broke loose. Someone forgot to lock the monkeys' cages. Someone forgot to record the results. Someone forgot to back up the computer's data. Long story short, it was not a pretty picture. The day ended with a couple of pointed fingers, a few flung feces and a mouthful of colorful language.

Normally, Amy would retreat to the peace and comfort that her apartment offered, but she needed to be with positive company tonight if she needed to face the simians at work the next day. The weekend could not come soon enough.

Almost as if it was hardwired in her brain, she found herself on autopilot to the direction of 2311 N. Los Robles Avenue. Girls night or a night of Counterfactuals, both were more promising than going home to an empty apartment, brooding over the fact that they might have completely lost months worth of work.

Soon after Amy arrived at the apartment, she spotted a lanky figure followed by three shorter men exiting the building. It took merely seconds before the lanky man recognized her and approached her with excited energy.

"Oh! Good evening, Amy!" Sheldon greeted her with the usual rhythmic tone Amy observed in his voice. She found herself smiling at the his eagerness to greet her. "You don't usually visit on Wednesdays. The apartment's empty and Penny's not home yet. Would you like to come join us?"

"Where are you guys going?" Amy asked followed by a disapproving look from Sheldon.

"I've already given you my schedule a few weeks ago Amy, you should know it by now! I've already memorized yours." Sheldon said, crossing his arms over his chest.

Of course. The schedule. Though many of his companions hated his constant need for things to be on time and in line with his routine, it was one of the things that fascinated her about him. Every single item was detailed to the dot, from laundry nights to bathroom arrangements. It made her curious to know about the inner workings of his captivating mind. He seemed like the perfect subject for one of her experiments. One of these days, perhaps.

She had memorized the schedule by heart, but because of the stress caused by previous events, she could barely even remember what day it was.

"My apologies."

"Apology accepted."

"Come on guys, let's go! We still have Halo after this!" Leonard called out, opening the door to his car.

"So, will you be joining us?" Sheldon asked, Amy still befuddled and unaware of what they were up to.

"What?"

"It's going to be fun Amy! A night of magical, out of this world adventure awaits us!"

_'Magical, out of this world adventure? What's that supposed to mean?_

"Uh…"

"Come on Amy, it'll be fun!" Leonard joined in.

"Guys, are you sure about this? I mean are we really going to take a girl with us? Howard questioned the bespectacled man while Raj seated himself at the back of the car, muted with the presence of a girl.

"Don't be silly Howard, of course she can come." Leonard defended.

"Well, what do you say Amy?" Sheldon asked her, eyes bright and expecting. "The clock is ticking!"

Seeing the urgency of the request and her knowledge of Sheldon's attitudes about tardiness, the brunette decided to just go with the flow.

"Umm, okay!"

_'Must be drugs.'_

* * *

"Well? What do you think of New Comic Book Night? Magic, huh?" Sheldon gleefully asked his invited guest.

_'Really? This is it? This is his definition of cool? Magic? You're kidding me!'_

Amy's eyes casually explored the establishment, trying to find even just a teensy bit of hint that they had some sort of exhilarating illegal activity like trafficking or smuggling. Maybe even a secret street fighting club. Unfortunately, the only illegal acts that she'd probably witness in the store would be overpriced merchandise or the release of comic books before their release date. Maybe a comic book robbery if she's lucky. Then again, if she were to do the math, the only ones who would rob a comic book store would probably be a bunch of geeks who wouldn't even have the means or the guts to.

"Sheldon, I'm disappointed. As a brilliant man, you're entitled to a vice. I could understand frequenting an opium den or hunting your fellow man for sport. But this? Lame-o." She was starting to wish she had waited for Penny instead.

"Well, A, comic books employ storytelling through sequential art, a medium that dates back 17,000 years to the cave paintings of Lascaux, and B, you play the harp. Like that's cool."

_'Way cooler than viewing picture books about men in tights fighting other men in tights, my friend.'_

She was inspecting the materials on the stands when she was greeted by a shy, skinny, pasty-faced man with dark curls resting on his head.

"Can I help you find anything?"

"A comic that depicts a woman whose bosom can't be used as a floatation device." Amy replied, a bit turned off with all the big-breasted female protagonists in the comic books.

"Sorry. Most of the guys who come in here like big boobs. Couple of them have big boobs," the man commented earning him a chuckle from the brunette. She glanced at the theoretical physicist, who was deeply immersed in browsing through a plethora of comic books, to see if he had any sort of reaction. Maybe a little bit of envy? Jealousy?

"Oh! There you are Batman #708!"

_'Sigh. He doesn't even notice.'_

* * *

It was no big deal really. Amy thought he was nice enough to have a conversation with, but she didn't have a serious interest in the man. For one thing, they never even exchanged names. While her inviter and his group scoured the lot for fresh comic books that were missing from their collection, the man became her company and helped her feel a little less like an alien from a foreign planet. She only realized that she had left a memorable impression on him once she received a text from an unknown number. She deduced that the guys must have given him her number. The sender introduced himself as Stuart, the man she met at the comic book store.

"Amy! You little vixen! Just working it underneath all those layers of wool and polyester!" Penny teased, looking impressed and somewhat excited. The blonde's excitement quickly passed on to Amy. It wasn't everyday that a guy asks her out. Well, no guy ever really does.

"What are you gonna do? Doesn't he know that you have a boyfriend?" Bernadette asked her with concern.

"Oh, she doesn't have a boyfriend. She has a Sheldon." Penny interjected, amused that Sheldon could even be identified as a boyfriend. Amy felt a bit offended at the comment, but she was right. It wasn't like Sheldon saw her as anything more than a friend.

"So, you like Stuart?"

"I don't know, he's nice, he's funny, he has the sallow drawn countenance associated with an overactive thyroid gland and that's kinda hot." Amy said, thinking about the supposition of Stuart as a potential date. She wasn't appalled at the idea.

"Okay, look sweetie. We all love Sheldon, but you've been with him over a year now. If it's not going anywhere, what does it hurt to look around?"

Look around? It's not as if she never did. She had a few crushes here and there, especially after the Zack Johnson incident, but they would only last a span of three days or less. Neither of her infatuations ever matched the effect Sheldon Cooper had on her. Every time she saw his glistening blue eyes, slender figure and pale complexion, she just melts and forgets any other men she encountered.

The unexplainable feeling she had with him was something she could only compare to the time she first experienced the Purkinje Lights Phenomenon.

* * *

It had been one of those days in school where the kids were particularly nasty, calling her rancorous names. She went home crying, burying herself under her pillow, refusing to answer the questions her parents posed. After sometime, they decided to let her heal in the solitude of her own room. She closed her eyes tightly, rubbing them every so often, wishing that she could erase everything, including those conniving smiles and wounding giggles.

She couldn't remember how long it has been since she last opened her eyes. She desperately wanted to escape into dreamland but failed despondently. It was then that she started seeing fractals of red, blue and neon green in color. She could feel some strain in her eyes, but the patterns were so beautiful she didn't care. She didn't question the nature of the images she saw, all she knew was that it gave her some sort of illusion that she was in another world that only she knew about; a world only she could visit. It was fascinatingly mysterious, and for a moment, she forgot she was alone.

She forgot the pain, the stress and all the sorrows she had whenever she was with Sheldon. His presence alone was enough to make her smile. It felt like an addiction, pulsating in her veins and ripping her head apart for one more hit each time. No one else ever came close to giving her that sort of ecstasy and bliss. Not even Penny.

* * *

"It'll be fine, Amy! I've dated this guy before and he's a really nice guy. A real gentleman! Plus, if you're afraid he's gonna make some kind of dick move, rest assured, he's a lot more afraid of you than you are of him," Penny said while fixing Amy's hair in a nice half ponytail. Even though this was her date with Stuart, her friends seem to be more enthusiastic than herself. The two blondes went through the trouble to go over to her office right after work to dress her up. Penny even offered to let her borrow her white sundress with yellow flowers, but Amy felt visibly uncomfortable with the amount of skin she was showing. It was only after Penny let her wear the dress paired with two cardigans and tights that Amy agreed to borrow it.

Amy had been reluctant about the whole thing, but the girls urged her to go for the date. They reasoned, in their own words, that "There's no harm in trying out sushi instead of fried chicken every once in a while." Whatever did sushi and fried chicken have to do with her date anyways?

Still, she supposed that trying out new experiences could give her more groundwork on social interactions. She did find most of the girls' suggestions on activities enjoyable. Seeing as they were more knowledgeable in the area of social merriment, she decided to go along with it.

"Okay, now for some make up!" Bernadette exclaimed, digging through her purse for some foundation that matched Amy's skin color.

"I'd rather not. I don't want to look whorish. He might fall too hard for me and I don't want to give him the goodies just yet," Amy replied, eyeing herself in the mirror. "With this dress and my Fowler hips, it would be a miracle for him not to ogle my cabooses."

"Umm, okay, so I guess we're all done! Is Stuart going to come get you or are you guys going to meet up somewhere?" Penny excitedly asked.

"We're going to meet up at the coffee shop. I prefer to have my car with me, in case he pulls any funny business. I could just get up and drive home." Amy replied, gathering her belongings.

"Good call." Bernadette agreed.

"Thanks for this guys. I'll be on my way. We promised to meet up around 5:30." She didn't want to admit it, but she was starting to look forward to the date. This was the first time she dated someone that wasn't a result of answers to questions on a dating site like "What are your hobbies?" or "Are you a dog person or a cat person?"

"Alright, we'll be over at Penny's. Let us know what happens!" Bernadette gleefully informed her. A date plus a girls' night afterwards. The night's really starting to shape up a little better than the night before.

"Noted."

"Have fun, sweetie! Call us or send us a text if anything comes up!"

* * *

To normal people, particularly, those who believed in superstition, luck or fate, they would've believed that the signs were trying to tell them something. That they weren't supposed to be where they're supposed to be. Amy Farrah Fowler was not one of those people, but for this particular occasion, she started to wonder if there was merit in these beliefs.

The first sign was the meeting place: the coffee shop where she first met Sheldon.

It was an amusing coincidence, but seeing as a majority of the establishment's customers were couples, it wasn't much of a surprise. It seemed to be a very popular date venue. She scanned around the premises for her date until she found him sitting by himself on a table in the middle of the room.

That was sign number two: the exact same spot where she sat with Sheldon.

She eagerly approached the individual and gave him a hearty greeting which Stuart happily returned. He motioned her to sit as he asked her if there was anything she wanted.

"Just tepid water, please."

As popular as the place was for their drinks and pastries, Amy didn't have the stomach to eat, nor was she in the mood to drink coffee. Stuart left the table and went to the counter to order while Amy was left by herself, pondering the current situation she was in. She wondered if she should've told Sheldon. Then again, why should she? It wasn't like it mattered to him who she was seeing.

A couple of minutes later, Stuart arrived with Amy's tepid water and a pumpkin latte. There was a few minutes of awkward silence and uncomfortable staring. It was mind-numbing. It came to the point where Amy could've sworn she could hear the silent tick tocks of the coffee shop's wall clock.

That was when Amy found sign number three: the Justice League shirt.

She didn't notice it immediately, but right underneath Stuart's jacket was the exact same gray Justice League shirt that Sheldon wore on the day they first met.

_'You're here with Stuart, Amy. Not Sheldon. Focus on Stuart. Sheldon must've bought it from Stuart's comic book store.'_

Knocking her thoughts out of the way, Amy decided to break the ice.

"How can a pumpkin be part of a caffeinated beverage?" Amy asked while nervously laughing. "I mean, how does it even taste?"

"You've never had one before?" Stuart asked, looking a bit relieved that the brunette had taken the initiative to start a conversation.

"No, I've always thought the idea of a gourd mixed with coffee beans seemed a little too… gross," the brunette confessed.

"Would you like to have a sip?" her lanky date offered.

"Umm, okay!"

Normally, Amy would turn down any offer to share a beverage, but she needed to move things along. She needed something to calm her nerves and stop thinking about a certain theoretical physicist.

As she took a sip, she found sign number four: the same cup Sheldon had drunken from when they first met.

It was impossible for her to mistake it, especially since the cup Sheldon was using had a small crack near the handle which was hard to miss. Sheldon went on and on for 20 minutes to the establishment's server, stating his discomfort of drinking from a damaged cup whose debris might be swimming around in his beverage. But that wasn't the only disturbing part of it all. Judging from the way Sheldon held the cup when he took a sip, it dawned on her that she sipped on the same side Sheldon did. It's probably been washed a few hundred times already, but the thought that she had an indirect kiss from Sheldon was enough to make her head spin.

"How does it taste?" the curly haired man finally uttered. Amy just realized she had been staring at the cup for a few minutes without saying a word.

"O-oh! It tastes fine. It's not that bad," The truth was her thoughts had invaded the functions of her taste buds. She couldn't even remember how it tasted.

It was silly. Here she was, with a perfectly nice man, yet she was thinking of another man entirely. Though she knew it was impossible for Stuart to read her mind, she thought that it was impolite. With all her willpower, she put all her thoughts about Sheldon in the back of her head while she concentrated on her current date.

"So, how's the comic book store?" Amy asked, trying to get the conversation going again. Stuart went on to tell her how his sales in the store doesn't seem to meet the quota to keep living in his apartment. He went on and on while Amy tried her best to take interest in what he was saying.

"Umm, can we take a picture? It's not everyday that I get to date a girl." Stuart requested, showing his phone.

"Sure." Amy agreed, inching closer to his side.

And there it was. Sign number five: static shock.

Almost immediately after Stuart took a picture of them, an electric shock surged between their touching elbows. They immediately pulled apart from the jolt.

"Sorry."

"It's fine. It's just static. One more?"

Stuart nodded before they settled back to their positions to take another shot. As soon as his phone's camera flashed and their arms collided, another wave of static shoved them apart.

"Umm, actually I think these two pictures are good. Thanks. I'll tag you on Facebook," Amy's date finally decided, giving her a small smile.

"Okay."

Amy looked around, trying to find another conversation starter when she found sign number six: the couple right next to their table.

Amy had to do a double take to make sure she wasn't just imagining things. When Sheldon and Amy were exchanging views on certain scientific principles, they got distracted by the couple sitting next to them. They were making out and spitting out corny lovey-dovey words to each other. She saw the exact same couple, but this time they were having a lover's spat and ignored each other throughout the course of their meal.

_'Stop thinking! Focus on Stuart!' _She silently scolded herself.

Stuart began to ask her about the things she liked for a change. It was fairly obvious that Stuart wasn't into the things she enjoyed, but she appreciated the fact that he was listening just as intently as she did with his story.

It was going pretty well until sign number seven appeared: the unidentified man in the orange shirt.

"Sheldon!" Amy's head instinctively turned around to see if the theoretical physicist was around but saw a man in a strikingly annoying orange shirt instead.

"It's been so long! How've you been?" the orange-shirted man greeted as he approached Stuart, giving him a pat on the back.

"I'm sorry, I think you got me confused with someone else." Stuart said, eyeing him strangely.

"So you're not Sheldon Robertson?"

"No…"

"Oh! I'm so sorry!"

As quickly as the man in the orange shirt came, he left. Even though he was referring to a different Sheldon, Amy couldn't help but notice that Stuart and Sheldon did have similar physical traits. Brown hair, oblong face, long neck, pale complexion, skinny build… It wasn't long before Amy started to imagine his date morphing into her year-old object of infatuation.

That was it. She couldn't take it anymore. She tried but there was no use. Curse him and his gorgeous face!

Seeing as she had no other choice, Amy made up an excuse about an emergency and decided to end the date with the promise that they should go for a second one.

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**Author's Note: Hey guys, sorry this took so long for me to write, but I hope you liked it~!**

I would just like to give a shout out to my fellow Filipinos out there who were vicitms or had friends or family who were victims of the Typhoon Haiyan (Yolanda). Things may look a little grim right now, but everything's going to be okay. We'll get through this guys. I hope that in a way, this fanfic uplifted your moods somehow.

And again, thanks Pearlgrl for your wonderful feedback and help on my fanfic~! :)

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**-November 10, 2013-**

Next Chapter: The Green-eyed Monster Effect 


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